MILITARY: Camp Pendleton job fair draws thousands

A few weeks ago, Vanessa Siemasz was dressed in desert fatigues and meeting with women in Afghanistan as part of a Marine Corps "
female engagement team
."

On Thursday, the Vista resident had her hair in a bun and was wearing a business suit as she met with prospective employers.

A Navy medical corpsman and a master at arms, Siemasz was among thousands of troops and military spouses attending a "
Hiring Our Heroes
" job fair at Camp Pendleton.

"I could hurt you and then I could fix you up," the 28-year-old said, joking about her dual specialties before adding that she is interested in a career in law enforcement or private security.

Siemasz came to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce-sponsored fair to meet some of the more than 70 employers on hand. She distributed resumes and gathered information, all part of her effort to have a job when her Navy enlistment ends in February.

"I'm just trying to get a foot in the door," said Siemasz, who is assigned to the base's 1st Medical Battalion. "I started networking about a year ago, because I know finding a job is going to take some time."

The jobless rate for Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans overall is 11 percent. For infantry troops ages 25 and younger, with few skills beyond their combat training, the rate has been more than 20 percent for several years.

Those numbers prompted the Chamber of Commerce to launch the "Hiring Our Heroes" campaign in March 2011.

Thursday's event was one of more than 260 hiring fairs it is has sponsored nationwide. The goal is to hire more than 500,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2014.

Siemacz hasn't wasted time in her effort to be ready for life after the Navy. She's already filed job applications with five federal agencies and is taking part in a transition assistance program that helps troops move into the civilian world.

Marine Gregory Costa, 29, a Pittsburgh native, came to the job fair directly from a transition class on effective resume writing. An electrician, he's leaving the service in November after more than 10 years.

"I think I have a lot to offer," he said. "I have a lot of electrician skills, and through my career I've gained a lot of management and leadership strengths."

Among the many law enforcement and private security firms at the fair was the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which has more than 1,000 job openings to fill.

Marines always stand a good chance with that agency, sheriff's Sgt. James Kaylor said.

"We're looking for solid individuals and these are people who've served their country and know about discipline and honor and good character," he said. "They're usually a pretty good fit."

Hyundai Motor America doesn't have work in law enforcement, but it found Robert Kortje, a former Camp Pendleton infantry gunnery sergeant, to be a good fit for its newly created military liaison post.

Kortje retired just a few months ago after a 20-year career that included combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was at Thursday's job fair recruiting for Hyundai.